A Lovely Kind of Irrelevance
by St.SilverWings
Summary: In times of turmoil, the union of Queen Max and Prince Fang provides a light for Max's homeland. But after years of not seeing each other, can they even stand to be near each other? An engagement riddled with romance and politics, only time will tell if Max and Fang will survive court together or if heads will roll in the process. (Previously The Hawk Princess)
1. Propositions and Proposals

**I started writing The Hawk Princess some time ago, but after reading over my ideas for the story, I decided an update was needed. The ideas were not very developed, and since only the first chapter had been loaded, I thought I would be able to change around a few things without much upset. I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism as long as they are respectful. I hope you like it. But if you don't, don't read it. James Patterson owns the characters, the plot is mine.**

**Prologue**

"Sir, I bring news from the Western border. Entrainian men have massed themselves up and down the coast. We have mobilized men to the same coordinates. Unfortunately, our message was intercepted and nine of our companies were ambushed before they ever reached the front-lines. Sir, we're facing slaughter."

The King of Verlaine closed his eyes in exhaustion. He let his anxieties take hold of his body for only a moment. His country was so close to all out war. Entrain would stop at nothing until his crown was off his head and his head off his shoulders.

As he opened his eyes, her surveyed the dark room. The courts had been drawn tight around the windows, shrouding the room in almost complete darkness. His eyes circled the room, travelling from the faces of each nobleman that stood loyally in front of him to the wilting flowers around the throne room, finally landing on the Queen's throne to the left. The barren throne. Entrain waited two days after the death of Elise to attack. After two days of grieving, he had to defend against a nation.

"Could you all please give me a moment with Lords Daniels and Michael?" Everyone slowly shuffled out of the room as the guards closed the large doors behind them. The King looked upon his most trusted advisors, his friends in this time of need. "I need you to send a message to move four companies from each border to assist the assist the West. Go Daniels, quickly! And Michael, please send a letter to King Philip of Artois. I have to pack my things; it's time I visited the Artesian court once more."

Michael looked at his King, confusion written clearly on his face. "I will sir, but may I ask why the rush and for what cause?"

King Henry smiled without humor, "It's time to plan a wedding, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>The road to Artois was not a particularly long one, however, tonight it seemed to stretch on for eternity. The carriage jostled about as King Henry glanced down at the child on his lap. He didn't bother worrying about waking her. He knew that she was awake, and her attempt at feigning rest was valiant but ultimately unsuccessful. Since her mother passed, she had been overcome with nothingness. She ate nothing. She spoke nothing. She barely slept. They had raised a strong daughter, him and Elise. One day she would be a strong queen. One day should would most likely resent him for his decision to marry her off. Elise had often spoken to their daughter about her love for him, and how when they were young, they fell deeply in love. The country was strong, needed no ally. He could marry for love and not for power. His daughter, however, would not be so lucky.<p>

No, lucky she would never be. Married to a man she may never love was one thing, but to the Dauphin of Artois was another. The Artesian people had amassed a power only rivaled by Entrain. King Philip and King Henry had been close as children, but Philip was hungry for power, almost obsessed until it consumed him. He knew an alliance with Artois was Verlaine's best option, however, this did not quell his concerns about the life at court his daughter would experience. Court, after all, can be just as dangerous as a battlefield.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived."

He sighed, reluctant to get out of the carriage. Philip gently shook his daughter's shoulder, knowing full well that she had heard the page. "Wake up mon ange, we are here."

The head of blonde hair slowly rose from its place on the King's lap. Drooped, emotionless eyes stared back at his grey ones. His heart broke knowing that they had once been so lively mere days ago. He gave her a small smile. She did the same, returning a smile though it did not quite reach her eyes. He kissed his daughter on the forehead before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her out of the carriage.

As his feet touched Artesian soil, the King noticed the audience that had been gathered to greet him and the young girl despite the night that had recently fallen. Their shadowed faces were not all inviting, especially with the sharp contrast of fire light that hugged every line of their bone structures. Maybe it was his own self – crafted reservations that made him wary, but King Philip was acutely aware of the feeling he felt in that moment. That Artesian Court was not safe, at least not for the faint hearted.

A man approached, placing an arm around the King, "My old friend, how great it is to see you again though I had hoped under different circumstances." King Henry smiled at the Artesian King, his demons temporarily subsiding. "Come. We have a lot to discuss. I will arrange for someone to bring your daughter to her room. It's right next to yours."

"Thank you," King Henry breathed out as he handed the young girl to a woman. Kissing her on her forehead for the second time that night, he whispered a quick 'good night' before following Philip to his meeting chambers.

Taking a seat at a rounded table near the center of the small room, Philip directed his attention to the King of Verlaine. "I heard about your wife, I'm so sorry about Elise."

Henry controlled his breathing, "Thank you for your kindness and for taking me and daughter in on such short notice. If you've heard of my wife's passing then you also must have of the mobilization of Entrainian soldiers."

"I have. You're letter explain your situation to me, how can I be of assistance to you?"

"I have a proposition for you, more a proposal really," Henry chuckled at his choice of words. "A union of our countries through vows, marital vows. My daughter and your son will be of age."

"They would marry. Your country would get soldiers and protection. I can see how this would benefit your country, but you know I have to ask, Henry. How will this marriage help mine?"

"Your economy is strong but not as strong as it could be. You are spending far too much money of materials to make textiles. I can provide you those materials cheaper than your current partner; your economy will flourish."

Philip sat in silence, pondering with a serious look on his face. He understood the large risk involved if this alliance were to be made. A gamble on either side, for better or for worse. The silence seemed to drag on as Philip continued his mental deliberations. Henry's heart all but stopped when Philip finally opened his mouth. Smirking, Philip uttered the words that would forever change the course of history.

"I do."

**I hope you all liked it! This was a lot of set up for what will be coming in the story, so please be patient. I can't assure that I will update weekly or that it will even be the same day weekly, but I do want to keep this story alive. Please review, tell me how you think!**

**- St. Silver Wings**


	2. Leaps and Bounds

**Hey guys! I'm just cranking these chapters out while the idea is still fresh in my mind. Last chapter was 3****rd**** person because there was a lot of set up that had to be done. I'm going to try to do this chapter in first person. I'm writing this before I write the actual chapter, so I may change to 3****rd**** if 1****st**** isn't working out. There is still a relatively large amount of set up that will encompass this chapter; you've been warned. Hope you enjoy! I don't own the characters, JP does.**

I felt sick. Of the millions of things I could be feeling in this very instant, sick is what my body had chosen. I was almost positive that my lunch and I would surely be reacquainted. No less than in a moving carriage on the way to see my … fiancé. I had to swallow a lump in my throat to even think the word.

The leaves painted a complete palate of color as I rode down a rode I had not for some time. Eight years had passed since my four year stay at Artesian court, and so much had changed. For starters, she had had her head in her father's lap twelve years ago, not propped against the carriage wall, staring out of the window. I'd have to say the first was more comfortable. After hearing news of my father's illness, I immediately left Artois to be by his side. I could only imagine the amount of pain he was in, and I knew he needed me to be near him if only to say goodbye. And goodbye he did say after four months of fighting. He was the strongest man I ever knew. I remember sobbing into the arms of our close family friend, Lord Michael, now the Regent of Verlaine until my seventeenth birthday.

Of course some things never change. The last time I had been to Artois, my mother had just been assassinated. This time, my father had passed of sickness. It seems that the road to Artois would always be adorned with death. It was the season for it.

My reveries were cut short as my carriage stopped. I voice in the distance announced, "Presenting, Her Majesty, Queen Maximum Ride." The door opened, and I was sure that I would see my lunch again. However, queens are only allowed to see their lunch once a day, so I took a breath and took a step.

Much like the last visit, I was met by unfamiliar faces. The whole castle staff had gathered to watch my arrival, standing with a path cleared down the middle for a procession. As I made my way to stand at the entrance of the path, I heard giggling from the crowd. Searching for the source, I couldn't help but break out into a smile. Somehow, without my knowing, Ella, Nudge and Angel, my ladies-in-waiting and best friends, had somehow been able to make it Artesian court before I had. I let a small smile break out onto my face. Maybe Artesian court wouldn't be so bad.

The trill of trumpets filled the air, and there was a moment of movement throughout the crowd. Everyone angled towards the back of the path, whispers flooding the courtyard before a silence swept through to replace them.

"Your Majesty, King Philip." A tall, broad man was a golden crown nestled in dark brown tresses strode down the pathway dressed in a black jerkin under a red embellished coat that only served to make the man more intimidating. His stare was strong and calculating as if he were trying to understand the mind of every man and woman present at the gathering. I wasn't sure whether or not I would like him. I had heard stories of his personality, rough and calloused. I also, however, had heard of his love for his country and his willingness to put all else aside to properly govern her. His gaze met mine, and he smiled at me, genuinely, causing small lines to form around his eyes. I let go of a breath that I didn't even know that I was holding.

"Your Majesty, Queen Anne Noir." Only standing a few inches shorter than her husband, she seemed to glide across the path as she made her way to stand by the King. Her black hair fell straight down her back onto her intricately patterned blue gown, one that matched her startlingly clear blue eyes. She had an air about her, a sureness of herself. As she stood beside her king I saw what a pair they were together and how tremendously powerful they looked together. One could only hope to achieve that one day, a power union. A small thought lingered in the back of my mind. _And a loving one._ I immediately thought of my mother's stories of her life with my father. I immediately squashed the idea. My loyalty is to my country. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Your Majesty, Prince Nicholas Noir." The fluttering of my stomach had everything to do with my nervousness. It had nothing to do with the way his dark eyes met mine or the way his black locks framed his face. It had nothing to do with his beautiful face or the smirk that played on it or the way his body looked caressed by black and leather. No, the fluttering had nothing to do with him approaching me with his hand outstretched towards me. It may, however, have had something to do with how I went to take his hand, with a smile I might add. It may have had something to do with the small step I took to close the distance between his hand and mine. The fluttering may have had something to do with the way I lost my footing and stumbled into his chest. It did not have anything to do with the way his hands secured around my back to catch me or the way his smirk widened when I let out a tiny gasp when our bodies made contact. I heard a series of gasps and giggles escape from the crowd. Who had I been kidding? Artesian court will be worse than I thought.

**I hoped you like it so far! Again, it was still a lot of set up, but hopefully there will be less of that in this next chapter. Please tell me what you think!**

**- St. Silver Wings**


	3. Beneath the Golden Birds

**I guess I'm writing these chapters as fast as I can because I kind of like where they're going. I know they're a little on the short side, so I hope the consistency and speed at which I am writing will make up for the length. I think I intend to make this a longer story; I'm not sure. For now, JP owns the characters! Enjoy!**

**PS: Dauphin is a term used to refer to the King in waiting, meaning that Fang is next in line for the throne. Also, someone asked if this was based off of the show Reign. In the sense that I've used a similar political situation and meeting, yes. However, if you look closely as the story goes on, you'll find little bits and pieces of a lot of Medieval stories. I kind of went on a Netflix binge since I've been sick and apparently royal movies are top recommendations of Netflix! I'll try to keep the allusions to a minimum, but I apologize in advance if it happens!**

Not only was I sick, but now I just wanted to die. This is how they will remember my return to Artois: Max, Queen of Verlaine, cannot even stand without the help of her fiancé. There went my first impression.

I heard a deep laugh in my ear and felt the movement of it as Nicholas turned his face towards mine. His smirk was so large, I swore it could fill the English Channel. "I see you've gotten clumsier since we last saw each other, heavier too. What have you been eating, rocks?"

Nothing would have given me more pleasure than to wipe that nasty smirk off his face with my own hands, but I decided to merely respond with, "Why? Is your head missing some?""

Rolling my eyes and gathering myself, I pushed off the Dauphin, maybe a little harder than I had to. I forced a smile and a gave him terse "thank you" before resetting my gaze on the castle.

King Philip approached quickly with his arms open towards me, "My how you've grown! Listen to me! I sound like an old woman! How are you dear?" I quickly went to his arms, mumbling an incoherent greeting. "I know it's been many years, but I wanted to personally say that I am sorry about your father. He would be so proud to see you now."

I had to stem the flow of memories of my father, so I thought instead of this man. I was always fond of him. Whenever I would get in trouble for running from the maids, he always made up a silly excuse as to why I had no use for a bath and how ladies running through the halls should be more common. He would allow me to watch him and Nicholas practice fighting with swords, and after months of watching, he gave me a sword of my own to practice with. Nicholas was never happy very happy with that; he felt that I was being favored. Nicholas and I had always had an interesting relationship. I had tried to be friendly towards him. At first, we got a long well, running around the castle and causing trouble with the staff. But, as we grew older, he tired of me. The laughter stopped and so did the friendliness. He began to see me as a burden. He wanted to play with the older children of the court and not some little girl he was forced to marry. In the end, however, we fell back into each other's graces, promising to write every day. That, of course, only lasted so long.

I felt a hand on my back, and I saw it's owner grinning at me as well. I laughed and embraced Anne. She had always been so loving and kind, and I had always looked to her for guidance as if she were my real mother. "You look wonderful my girl. Tell me, have you been well?"

I held her hand lightly, "I have been very well, thank you. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"No dear, the pleasure is all mine. Shall we?" She made a sweeping motion with her arm to the castle. The crowd began to disperse as we walked, returning to their daily chores. The King and his Dauphin excused themselves on account of business while the queen escorted me to my chambers. After much walking, we stopped at a large wooden door.

"Here we are," Anne turned to face me. "I hope you find everything to your liking. Dinner will be at seven, and we are having a celebration in honor of your arrival."

I smiled at her before she walked down the corridors. Sighing, I stepped into my guest room only to be greeted with four lovely faces. Squeals filled the air as Ella, Nudge, and Angel wrapped their small arms around me.

"My friends! I'm so happy you're here with me. I thought you would be back in Verlaine for another week," I said excitedly. I had to leave early to stay in front of the flooding of an upcoming storm, and I was sure that would have delayed them by a week. Their presence meant so much to me, especially in a place I am alone in.

"We actually arrived a week earlier than you did! We heard about the weather and decided to leave earlier which I guess is what you thought yourself, however we did not want you to be without ladies so we decided to leave a week even earlier than intended to make sure to have everything prepared for your arrival. And what a wonderful arrival it was! Except you seemed so dark! Black horses, black carriages, black uniforms for your staff, you even wore a black dress! Honestly, Artesian court is so colorful! Reds, blues, they were all so beautiful. The only person who didn't match was Prince Nicholas. Wearing all black, it only makes him appear even more dark than he already does with his hair and eyes. I guess you guys match! Maybe you should –" Monique, Nudge as we have come to call her, was cut off by Ella.

"Speaking of, after today, have you fallen for the Prince, Max?" Elle joked, raising her eyebrows.

"Ha ha, very funny Ella. Did you think of that one all on your own? I'm very impressed," I rolled my eyes, all attempts at forgetting todays events were obviously useless. I grabbed my bags and began to unpack. If I had to stay here, I might as well be comfortable.

Ella laughed at my behavior, "I actually did, though I'm sure the whole court came up with something similar!" I snorted. "Oh, for God's sake Max, you have to marry him, at least pretend like you like him."

"I have to marry him Ella, no one ever said anything about liking him. We need this engagement to do through. This union is the only protection against Entrain that we have right now, and I'll be damned if I let it fall through because Nicholas is a jerk. I can learn to tolerate him if I have to, but I will not love him," I responded, busying myself with my things.

"You know, I never understood why you hate him now. Sure, you had your rough patches before you left for Verlaine again, but you made up and wrote to each other every day for years. This is the first times you've seen him since your departure, why could you possibly hate him? One little comment made in jest surely could not have caused such strong emotions to form so quickly!" Angelica, affectionately known as Angel for her personality and demeanor, inquired aloud. "You never did tell us why. You never talk about it."

"It's a long story Angel, one saved for another day," I didn't want to talk about Nicholas right now.

"Another day then. We have more fun and important matters to attend to.. getting ready for tonight's celebrations!" Angel's statement brought on a round of shrieking, and before I was dragged off to be prepped, I couldn't help but think that talking about my past with Nicholas would have been more enjoyable.

* * *

><p>The click of my heels against the cold floor echoed through the halls as my eyes remained glued to the walls, staring at the great tapestries of Artesian court. I had convinced the other girls to go ahead to dinner earlier, encouraging them to find young, wealthy suitors while I needed some fresh air. Within the hour I would suffocated by a million greetings, so I decided to take some time for myself and explore the castle. Not much of the castle itself had changed since my years of absence. The tapestries, the vases, the banners, they were all very much the same. I walked to the end of the hallway to see my favorite tapestry. It was beautifully made with rich reds and deep blues with golden accents all around, depicting the might of the Entrain rulers. It was not the majesty depicted through cloth that made it precious to me but rather the small golden birds that surrounded the main image. What I doubt the King had understood when he bought the piece was that it was crafted by Verlainian weavers. The Artesian King of the time had not been very pleasant to the creators of the tapestry so they placed golden hawks all throughout the piece, showing the might of Verlaine instead.<p>

Much to my dismay, I saw that it had begun to fray throughout the years. As I grabbed a side of the tapestry to examine the damage, I noticed some of the damage had reached the back side of the piece. Moving the piece further off the wall, I saw something I had not expected. Instead of a complete wall, I saw a dip in the stones. Slightly under the tapestry, I reached for the side of the dip and felt the grain of a wooden door, even finding a metal handle as well. I was about to disappear completely under the cloth when I heard voices and footsteps from around the corner. I quickly removed myself from the wall, dusted myself off, and walked to dinner with a promise to myself that I would come back to see what was beneath those golden birds.

**This chapter was a little longer than the others. I hope that I can make the rest of the chapters more like this one! Tell me what you think please! I love seeing how many people read the story, but I really want to hear what you think about it!**

**- St. Silver Wings**


	4. Always Be My Princess

**Thank you so much for continuing to read this story; I hope you like it so far! I keep getting comments about Reign, and I will admit that I binge watched the first season before writing this so there are most likely a LOT of similarities between the plots. I apologize if you don't like it, but if you want to talk about the show with me, feel free to PM me. I have to warn you though, I'm far too emotionally involved in those characters!**

**James Patterson own Maximum Ride, and the CW owns Reign (at this point might as well give a disclaimer of it). **

As I walked into the ballroom, I could only stare in wonder. Lights were all over the room as if to rival the night sky. The room itself was extraordinary with ceilings that could reach the heavens and intricate golden patterns adorning every surface, including the black tiled floor. I walked discretely into the room knowing that I would be announced if I was less careful. The festivities seemed to be in full swing, and I did not want to interrupt everyone's enjoyment to simply be stared at. I was never one for dramatic flare or big entrances; I preferred not to be in the spotlight or the center of attention. I was already noticed enough for my title, no need to make a bigger fuss of myself than my birthright already had.

I found a spot at an empty table towards the back left corner of the room. Call it a habit, but I liked seeing the room in its entirety. This made detecting threats much easier, seeing all entrances and the people who entered. I laughed to myself. Had I not been of royal birth, I would not have to worry about such things. Attempts on my life were common since my father died, and a room for of constant movement was always a convenient place for people to go unaccounted for. Scanning the room, I found Angel's blonde head moving as she talked to an overly excited duke, Nudge laughing at whatever joke an earl had said, and Ella dancing amicably with a Viscount of sorts. I was happy that they had found entertainment; they would miss Verlaine, but I knew they were excited for the adventure that would be Artois. Looking around the dance floor, I could not help but notice the dark locks of Prince Nicholas as he danced very close to a red – headed Lady. At this sight, I felt a slight twinge of something; what I'm not sure. Not wanting to dwell on the thought, I busied myself with my hands, tracing the intricate patterns of the cloth on the table. Getting lost in the lines, I barely noticed when the seat beside mine became occupied.

"Are you really trying to trace the whole pattern? Because unless you would like to commit about an hour's worth of your time to a table cloth, I would suggest giving up on your endeavors," Ocean eyes and a smiling face met mine when I looked up. A smile crept onto my face as I examined my table companion. He had a strong, inviting face with smile lines adorned around his eyes. I would be lying if I said I did not think he was attractive.

"Now, what else would I do for the next hour?" I laughed back. "Tracing patterns was the only plan I had for tonight."

"I would ask you to dance," I made a face of discomfort, "but I have a feeling there is a reason you were tracing table cloth patterns instead."

"I would dance, but I have no one to dance with," I laughed lightly as did he. It was true; I very much enjoyed dancing. I would never admit to it, but I would dance for days if I could.

Upon this news, the man next to me immediately rose from his seat and presented me his hand, "Then may I have this dance, Miss…?"

"Maximum, call me Max," I took his hand smiling. I immediately regretted telling as his eyes widened, and he bowed to me.

"My apologies, Your Grace. I did not recognize you," he said behind downcast eyes.

I quickly tried to salvage the situation. My first chance at a friend in this place, and I had somehow found a way to ruin it. Typical Max scenario. "Please," I smiled. "Just Max."

He looked up at me in wonderment before the largest smile I have ever seen spread across his face. "Just Max," he said under his breath. Standing at his full height, a few inches taller than my 5'6 frame, he continued, "Well, 'Just Max,' may I have this dance?"

Standing to meet him, I replied with a smile, "You may, Sir…?"

He laughed again as he lead me through the maze of tables to where everyone was dancing. "Dylan, just Dylan."

The previous song was ending as we stood only a few feet apart. I took a moment to gaze upon him, taking note of his golden hair and his lean physique. The music began again, and before I could close my eyes, I saw a dark pair catch my gaze. I felt that twinge in my stomach again before Dylan took my hand again. I noticed how soft they felt against my own skin as we began to dance. This song was slower, much more subdued, allowing almost no movements except stiff steps. The song finally changed to something more lively; the tempo quickened, and I closed my eyes. I felt my body succumb to the music as I began to move my body without my own accord, turning, spinning and moving in a way that felt so natural to me. I let this feeling, this sensation take over. In this moment, I am the only person in the room. I do not feel the eyes of all the guests on me. I do not feel the pressures of Artesian court and what this stay will surely result in. I am not the Queen of Verlaine. I am merely a girl dancing in an empty room to a song I do not know. Just me, just Max.

The moment ended when I realized I was not the only person in the room, my arms extended to both sides as a body is pressed flush against mine. The once soft hands holding mine had been replaced with rough, calloused ones holding my arms instead. My eyes flew open. I tried to step away from the man behind me, knowing full well that the entirety of this court was looking at me, but his hands brought my arms above my head as a sultry voice whispered in my ear, "Don't stop Princess, you looked positively irresistible."

I repressed the shiver that ran down my spine, knowing exactly who stands behind me now. Strong hands spun me so I was face to face with the Dauphin of Artois. He pulled my body closer to his, continuing the steps.

"You don't mind if I cut in do you?" Nicholas asked with that irritating smirk of his.

"Actually, I was quite enjoying my previous partner, thank you for asking," I replied venomously while trying to keep a pleasant demeanor. I may not enjoy his company, but if I were to walk away from my husband to be, the court would surely have something more to talk about.

"No you weren't," he responded firmly. I was taken aback, almost missing a step. He laughed when he saw my shocked face, "I have seen you dance when you were younger. Your partner barely gave you enough freedom to move, whereas you would prefer to use the whole floor if you could. We used to dance that way, together before you left." I felt as if my face were frozen in the same shocked expression: eyes wide and mouth hanging. "Dance with me," he more stated than asked.

I quickly recovered from my shock and responded sharply, "And why would I dance with you?"

He laughed before twirling me around, "Because you already are." I felt it again, the twinge in my stomach but better, different than before. Ignoring it, I focused on the smile on Nicholas's face and felt my own widen, only a fraction. And then I focused on nothing as my body again succumbed to the music.

* * *

><p>I was exhausted as I returned to my seat. Between the encounter with Nicholas and the standing ovation I received after being officially welcomed and announced to Artesian court, I felt as if I could sleep for ages. Ella, Nudge and Angel had found their way to the table as well.<p>

"My question still stands," Ella smiled as they each took a seat. The festivities had slowly died down, and people were talking politics quietly in the background.

I returned Ella a questioning look at her words, "What question?"

She giggled in response, "If you've fallen for your prince yet?" Angel and Nudge attempted to stifle their laughs but failed miserably. I snort at her words; how could I after what he tried to pull.

_As the music had ended, he once again turned me around to face him, our noses touching. I would be lying if I said that I had not enjoyed our time together; however, this was not how we danced as children. This was not playful, this was laced with something much heavier, something I did not like to think about in that moment._

_"Now was that so bad Princess?" He smirked yet again. I swore that if I ever saw that damned smirk again, I would have to forcibly remove it from his face._

_"I've had worse experiences Nicholas," I gave a coy smile knowing that he absolutely despised his name. His smile immediately fell and mine widened; I could tell I struck a nerve._

_Within seconds, however, it returned with a spark in his eyes. He stepped in even closer to me, his hot breath in my ear, "What if I show you an even better one?" My body froze, and I mustered up every last bit of self control to keep from kicking him in the family jewels._

_"Not on your life, you arrogant ass!" I said hissed out from clenched teeth and walked away as fast as my legs would let me._

"If we were the last two humans on Earth, I would let the species die," I replied taking a drink of wine. Angel and Nudge giggled again.

"Oh no, they're having a lover's quarrel!" Nudge jokingly warned. They were all roaring in laughter at this point. I finished my second glass of wine; maybe it had been my third. I had stopped keeping count. After tonight, I realized the only way I could make it through this engagement was with a cellar of wine.

"Alright, I am going to bed before you make me drink a whole bottle," I slowly rose from my seat, steadying myself with the table.

"Don't get lost and visit Nicholas's chambers," Ella forced out between laughs. I sighed; I was the butt of every joke tonight it seemed.

I made my way out of the room, stumbling only once or twice. I tried to concentrate on seeming as sober as possible. What a scandal it would be if I was completely drunk my first night here. And I was so close to making it back to my room without a mishap. By close, I meant that I had immediately turned right instead of going left and subsequently passed every hallway that would have led to my room.

When I heard chuckling, I whipped my head around to find the source of the sound. Moving too quickly, my head began to spin, and I lost my balance. I braced myself for the floor, but instead, I only felt strong arms snatch me up before I made contact. "Tell me Princess, how can someone be so graceful one minute and then so clumsy the next? It's astounding; I think you have a gift."

I audibly groaned, recognizing the voice of Nicholas immediately. "Go away," I slurred.

My weak attempt at sending him away was only greeted by chuckling. I felt my weight shift as he snaked an arm around my shoulder and another under my leg, lifting me in his arms. "A simple thank you would suffice Princess," he smiled down at me.

There is was again; that twinge in the pit of my stomach that seemed to accompany his presence. "Why would I thank you? What if I wanted to be on the ground? The ground and I have wonderful conversations, and you are depriving me of them tonight!" I could feel the alcohol mix with my obstinacy. Had I been sober, I would have been embarrassed, but instead I continued to humiliate myself, " Put me down Nicholas. The floor and I have much to discuss!"

Nicholas's body was racked with laugher, breathing out, "You're a riot Princess. Now, let's get you back to your chambers before you and the floor talk politics. You wouldn't want to drunkenly convince yourself to go to war with the drapes, now would you?" I could tell he was having too much fun mocking me.

"I do not want you anywhere near my bedchambers especially after tonight Nicholas," I continued to slur into his arms.

He laughed again though his voice lacked the a joking tone, "I would not dream of it. Why do you keep call me Nicholas?"

I looked up at him through half lidded eyes. Even in my drunk stupor, I could tell the nature of our conversation had shifted from lightheartedness to melancholy… nostalgia maybe? "What else would I call you?" I asked him, looking at what I hoped were his eyes. My world was still slightly spinning, and the dark hallway did not help my position.

His eyebrows settled into a frown. "Well, Fang, obviously," he replied, "You were the one to give me that nickname." I immediately was drawn back to our younger years. We were mock fighting with each other with a strong determination to win. I had my arms locked tightly around him in triumph until his teeth clamped down on my bicep. I had called out before he tackled me, claiming victory in our game. From that day on I had called him Fang. Initially, he hated the name, but after weeks of hearing it, he finally accepted to name.

"I stopped being friends with Fang five years ago. He stopped responding to my letters," I stated quietly. I felt his arms tense around me as if he had been physically wounded by my words. Maybe he had; maybe I wanted him to be.

As a long pause, he responded, "Well maybe he wants to be friends again and is sorry for not writing."

"If he asked really nicely, maybe I'll let him," I slurred again.

He chuckled, "Well Princess, I have a feeling he is going to do everything he can to make it up to you." I had not even realized that we had been until we reached the door to my chambers. Shifting me slightly in his arms, he reached for the handle and opened the door wide. He walked straight towards my bed, slowly moving the coverings back before he softly place me beneath them. After a long night, I was overjoyed to simply be laying in a bed, even if it had been Nicholas that had put me there. He was about to turn and leave until I caught his arm.

My eyes almost completely closed, I asked, "Why do you call me Princess? I am a queen."

His dark eyes twinkled as he spoke, "You were a princess when we first met, so no matter what, you will always be my princess." I small smile played across his face as he walked slowly out of my chambers. With those words, I wandered off into a dreamless sleep, my only thought being that my head would be pounding in the morning.

**Please tell me if I'm making these chapters too boring or if my writing style is boring. I'm not really getting much feedback, but I'd very much appreciate some. Again, I hope you liked the chapter!**

**- St. Silver Wings**


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